'TH WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING'
sIGNIFIANCE TO nEW zEALAND
Overview.The tour saw an end to activism and a change in the way we New Zealanders treat authorities and view the law. Most Maoris now no longer live in rural areas but directly confront Pakehas in cities. The collapse of full employment, the emergence of new Maori political Movements and the resurgence of Maori culture, have forced racial issues in sharp focus in New Zealand. As a country we have learnt that no matter how important a cause, building an entire campaign around one single issue that lacks key and effective links to root causes will be unsuccessful. The South African Rugby Union made a formal apology in 2010 for their exclusion of Maori rugby players from New Zealand due to their policy of Apartheid. The NZRU who had prior stated that it was not the right time for apologies later followed suit. There were great protests against the apartheid regime in South Africa, when we as a country ourselves were facing great racial issues that needed to be addressed. It is clear now that the tour was 'as much about a culture clash as it was about racism overseas'.
The 1981 Anti-Springboks Tour protests can be seen as both a success and failure depending on what way you choose to look at it. Although they were not successful in the immediate sense of stopping the tour, it was incredibly clear to not just New Zealanders but the rest of the world the stance that many people took against apartheid and racism in general. Like the chant, the whole world really was watching, the games were televised internationally and people around the globe could watch and feel the resistance of the New Zealand public to the tour and what it supported. |
Historically it was an incredibly significant event in our past that involved the whole of New Zealand at some level, whether they were actively taking part in protests, members of anti-springbok tour groups, pro-tour supporters or just residents at home forming their opinion about the event- the fact was that everyone had an opinion and just about everyone was prepared to share theirs. The actions taken by New Zealanders went unnoticed by none and reached the attention of other nations and the consequences of the protests were far reaching. Negatively impacting family lives and communities, the protests saw fights emerge between once stable relationships and it is argued that New Zealand had never seen such civil unrest or disagreement. Most importantly the actions taken by protesters had a long lasting positive effect on the society of New Zealand, as we saw a change in government and the introduction of new socially just laws like a nuclear-free NZ and homosexual law reform-these things people were much more open to following the protests.
Above all the protests showed a great part of New Zealand's want to help stop apartheid, it showed that they did not accept or condone it and this was a contributing factor to the eventual abolition of apartheid in 1994. Nelson Mandela recalled that when he was in his prison cell on Robben Island and heard that the game in Hamilton had been cancelled; it was as ‘if the sun had come out’. It is nice to know that the efforts of those who were socially conscious of the inequality in South Africa's society, made an effort that was appreciated by the great leader of the entire Anti-Apartheid movement, a significant contribution made by the little country that we are. Below is a documentary made in 2001 on the reflection of the Springbok Tour. |
There were many Political, Social and Economic consequences of the 1981 Springbok Tour, all of which had dramatic change on New Zealand society.
Prime Minister Robert Muldoon In the short-term this support for Muldoon would push him through the 1981 general election soon after the tour leaving him in the Prime Ministers role until 1984. In 1984 the people of New Zealand's feelings had changed and were not so kind to Muldoon. In the long-term they chose to support Labour leader David Lange, who had a vision of a better New Zealand with more input from the people than Muldoon had. This change in government had a profound impact on the lives of people in New Zealand, and a major contributor to the way in which New Zealand has progressed to this day. It could be argued that this change was always going to occur, one way or another, but the change in government in 1984 first initiated this change and was the catalyst for the anti-nuclear legislation that united New Zealand once again. This helped to bridge the social divide that had developed since the '81 tour. A change in government policy was needed in order for New Zealand to move forwards as a nation. |
The role of law enforcement had a huge impact on the outcome of the 1981 tour, and the actions of authorities polarised the police for a generation. Protesters and other working/middle class people alike developed a dislike for the police and indeed any physical authority. Such violent action had not been seen in New Zealand since the 1931 Depression riots and before that the 1913/51 Waterfront strikes. The violent actions of the police would have encouraged anti-tour support as the people of New Zealand rose up not just to protest against the 'racist tour' but also the government.
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The economic consequences of the 1981 Springbok tour and protests are arguably the most insignificant consequences on New Zealanders themselves but impacted on their lives nonetheless. As well as physical and mental costs the tour provoked, there also were many monetary costs associated with the groups involved. The New Zealand government spent over 20x more than the coalition of the four major protests groups, racking up a bill of over 2.7million NZD compared to just $127,108 for the coalition. The fact that the coalition was able to find the funds for so much expenditure shows the support and generosity of the anti-tour supporters and the passion and invested feeling they had in the protests. The government costs mainly associated around policing resulted in almost 2000 arrests being made on protesters, which would perhaps justify the expenditure in the opinion of the government. Complaints mainly against police brutality were made by over 300 people, which the police eventually decided were mostly unjustified. The fact that the police internally investigated complaints against themselves shows how the government dismissed the beliefs of anti-tour supporters and was more concerned with running it's own operation rather than looking after the people of New Zealand.
KEy ideas
The 1981 Springbok tour had a range of social, political and economic consequences that subsequently impacted on the lives of New Zealanders and New Zealand society making it a significant historical event. The violent clashes between tour supporters and protesters enlarged the already increasing social divide between rural and urban, farmers and townies. The rift was not just about sport or rugby, but about differences in opinion of issues on an international scale. It appeared as if tour supporters could not grasp the significance of the tour and the subsequent protests on the world scale. Racial issues in New Zealand were brought to light, with increased activism by Maori leading to Waitangi Tribunal action over grievances that had intensified since 1840. Along with Maori Pakeha New Zealanders also used the protest momentum from the 1981 tour and launched that enthusiasm to homosexual rights and anti-nuclear movements. The economic effect of the tour was not as widespread as the social and political consequences but had an impact nonetheless. The fact that the government spent over $2.7million shows how desperate they were to gain the support of pro-tour supporters, which they believed would translate into electoral success,despite using the tour to his advantage in the short-term, Robert Muldoon dug his own grave for the 1984 general election, suffering a landslide loss to David Lange's Labour government. This reflected a change in public opinion over the significance of public action and the influence that New Zealand had on the world stage. Lange brought New Zealand back to the people of New Zealand. The people now controlled the government; the government did not control the people. ‘If Although the tour was never stopped, and in some ways the pro-tour supporters were successful, the memories of the protests could not be forgotten and what many people in New Zealand stood for, a just society. In 1984 the Muldoon government lost the elections to the Nationa Party. The new government of David Lange adopted a trend with origins that lay in the protests of 1981, looking for a just society just like the protestors of the Anti-Springbok tour protestors, he introduced nuclear-free legislation and enabled homosexual law reform, both of which struck at the core of what might have been described as the values and image of New Zealand society. The long lasting effect of the Anti-Tour protests was one of the need for a just society, not just in South Africa but our own country too and people became more aware of this-the evidence of this can be seen in the later support for Lange's government and the changes they made to create a more equal society in NZ.